The town of Hillsville, VA will welcome upwards of 650,000 visitors this weekend for the 45th annual flea market and gun show sponsored by the local VFW.

We have been going to this big flea market off and on for the last 25 years. In earlier days, we would go for the entire weekend, staying at the wonderful Doe Run Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Over the years, our visits have been shortened to just one day. It's about an hour and a half drive from home, so it's a great day trip.

With snacks, a picnic lunch and plenty of bottled water, Wendy and I picked Becky up at 6:30 a.m. As we drove through the fog on I-77 just north of Mount Airy, we were treated to some gorgeous views.

Under that layer of clouds is the Yakdin Valley

We were able to snag a great $5.00 parking spot much closer than last year and were probably within a couple football field lengths from the middle gate.

Check out the crowds at 8:00 a.m.!

Vendors set up their tent shops down the streets, inside the massive VFW parking area, and throughout the surrounding fields. Around the flea market area are hundreds of yard sales too. It's a junker's paradise! Shoppers looking for antiques, furniture, vinyl records, books, baseball cards, coins, guns, comics, old pictures, army surplus, signs, clothes, gadgets, toys, knifes, collectibles, tools, socks and more, will probably find exactly what they are looking for.

So what was I looking for? This year, absolutely nothing...really, absolutely nothing. I found three sets of slides for my View-Master and that was the sum total of my purchases!

Old shutters, handmade birdhouses, and "stuff"

Red, white and blue bird condos

A pair of vintage camping chairs

Yellow hobnail glass

As the morning wore on, my feet and hips wore out. The temperatures were climbing up near 90 degrees and I had to admit that I just couldn't "do" Hillsville like I used to.

Round replicas of vintage automotive signs

A very cool pink Emerson radio

Forget the tools...check out the VW truck!

Shutters, signs, ladders, and more stuff

Even though we didn't spend hours and hours like the good ole days, we still had a good time. Thanks for stopping by this week to pick up your Postcards. Have a great Labor Day Weekend everyone!!

Happy Hump Day everyone! My original plans for today were to head to Lexington to meet Toolbelt Sue and Rich for lunch and pick up a trailer dolly for The Coffee Cup. We've postponed that rendezvous until tomorrow, so I'll do a Postcards flip flop.

On Monday I shared news about a new book on glamping that I ordered and received. Today I want to tell you about another equally cool book. It's called VW Camper Cookbook and it features "80 tasty recipes specially composed for cooking in a camper."

Not only does it contain some great campsite recipes, the pictures of the VW campers are so cool. I have always loved the old camper vans, so I especially love this book.

Take a look at these beauties...

1966 Westfalia Hardtop

1967 Double Door Split

1962 13-Window Italian Splitty

This late baywindow is an ex-radio bus.

Each two-page spread contains a recipe, a vintage VW camper, some great scenery and graphics. It was published just last year and I've learned that a new one, called VW Camper Cookbook Rides Again, will be available Nov. 4 through Amazon. I know I'll want to add that to my collection! For all you Facebookers, you can get a sneak preview of the recipe pages on The Original VW Camper Cookbook page.

1966 split window.

Rare 1962 Double-door Samba

1979 piece of art!

1959 Split Westy

For all of you with VW-campy-envy like me and for all of you who love to find a good camping recipe to add to your repertoire, I send you groovy culinary greetings on this Wednesday Hump Day!!

Today our senior's group from church, The Leisuretimers, traveled to Abingdon, Virginia to attend a play at the Barter Theater.

I thought I had arrived early enough to get a good seat on the bus, only to find that all the seats were taken and that Becky and I were on the back row! To say that was an experience is a great understatement....LOL.

In all our years of escorting 8th graders to Washington, DC, Becky and I were always on the front row, so today was something quite new for us.

Picture this: - 3 hours on a small bus traveling through the mountains NC, TN, and VA. - 3 hours of rocking and rolling side to side and up and down. - 3 hours of a driver going way too fast for mountain roads. - 3 hours of fluctuating temperatures that were making all of us on the back row just a bit queasy.

We finally got to Abingdon and once again Becky and I were in for another new experience... lunch at Cracker Barrel. Would you believe we have never eaten there before? We both had breakfast and it was pretty good.

We arrived at the Barter Theater an hour early and when we finally were given our tickets, we were on row V in the balcony. I couldn't believe that the place was packed for a 2:00 performance on a Tuesday!

We certainly weren't the only church group there and I would guess that was because the play was "David: The New Musical". I gotta tell you, it was really, really good.

It was the story of Israel's great shepherd-turned warrior-king. The original acoustic music was great, the singers had powerful voices, and I thoroughly enjoyed a new look at this old story.

The Barter Theater itself was another first for me. It opened on June 19, 1933 and is one of the longest running professional theatres in the nation. In 1933, when the country was in the middle of the Great Depression, most patrons were not able to pay the full ticket price. The founder of the theatre, offered admittance by letting the local people pay with food goods, hence the name "Barter". The original ticket price for a play was 35 cents, or the equivalent in goods. In 1946, Barter Theatre was designated the State Theatre of Virginia.

Many well-known stars of stage, screen and television have launched their careers at Barter, including Gregory Peck, Ernest Borgnine, Patricia Neal, Ned Beatty, Hume Cronyn, and Kevin Spacey.

We didn't get back home until 7:00, but we arrived safe and sound and it was a fun day full of first-time experiences for me and Beck.

Thanks for picking up your Barter Theater Postcard and traveling along with me. See ya tomorrow!

Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about when I used the word "Glamping" in the title of today's Postcard. This should help...

Glamour + Camping = Glamping

Glamping is the focus of a newly published book, "Glamping with MaryJane". MaryJane Butters coined the term "glamping" years ago when she founded her unusual Idaho canvas wall-tent bed & breakfast, which was featured in The New York Times Magazine and Travel & Leisure as "the place to be."

The infamous Calamity Jane once said, "I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one." MaryJane Butters has definitely achieved legend status. She lives in Moscow, Idaho, where she runs her many businesses, which include a successful organic farm, product lines, a bed & breakfast, and MaryJanesFarm magazine.

I pre-ordered my copy of the book on Amazon several months ago for these reasons...

1) Four of my photos are in the book.....pages 92 and 220!2) T@bby Chic (a T@B owned by my buddy Sandi O'Connor) is featured in two of those photos3) When The Coffee Cup arrives in North Carolina very soon, I will be among the women who glamp in vintage trailers

If you'd like to read more about glamping and MaryJane Butters, there are Facebook groups, websites, and blogs featuring her. As an added bonus, Sandi is one of the featured bloggers on the Facebook group "Glampers On The Loose."

If you have a Facebook account, check it out. You'll be treated with a Savory Muffin recipe from Sandi today and see one of her glamping creations on her beloved Nauset Beach on Cape Cod!

I've got a busy week with lots of opportunities for unique Postcards, so be sure to check in daily.

Good morning from Cherry Grove Beach! All that yucky weather from yesterday afternoon is still hanging around. It's kinda foggy and drizzly outside, so we're doing laundry, playing Words With Friends on the computer, and just chillin' inside this morning.

Our plans are to grab a cheeseburger at Hamburger Joe's for lunch and then head over to JC Penny's so Beck can look for some new tennis shoes.

There's really no reason to wait until this evening for your Cherry Grove Pier Postcard since I've got time to send it out this morning.

Cherry Grove Fishing Pier.

Although piers along this northern stretch of South Carolina beaches have come and gone due to our Atlantic hurricanes, the Cherry Grove Fishing Pier has remained constant.

In the early 1950's, beach-goers were drawn to a brand new, 985-foot wooden fishing pier. Not only was it a scenic attraction, it boasted some of the best fishing along the coast.

Vintage photo of tiger shark.

In 1964, a 1,780-pound, world record tiger shark was caught by Walter Maxwell off the pier. It remains the only all-tackle one ever caught in SC. The shark was estimated to have weighed in at 2,000 lbs when it was caught, but it couldn't be weighed until the next day.

Lots of fishing going on!

Pier as seen from the observation deck.

Looking south towards Ocean Drive.

Fishing for king mackerel.

The Prince Resort in the distance.

Thanks for strolling back to the beach today and picking up your Pier Postcard. We're heading home in the morning and hopefully the sun will be back out for a good driving day.

Have a great weekend everyone and I'll chat with you Monday!

A wavy-looking pier from the beach.

In 1989 the Pier was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo which left a widespread path of destruction across the state of South Carolina. It was rebuilt and the two-story observation deck was added.

In September of 1999, Hurricane Floyd left its mark on the Cherry Grove Pier by snapping off the observation deck and depositing it 1000 yards down the beach! It was rebuilt and renovated in time for the next summer season.

We had to pay two bucks to walk out on the pier, but that was OK since it was full of folks fishing, there was a great ocean breeze blowing, and I had a camera in my hands.

Becky and I walked up to Cherry Grove Pier this morning and I fully intended to share some history and photos of the pier with you this evening. That is until the "weather" set in!

It rained for hours this afternoon and warning after warning kept coming across the NOAA app on my iPad. The first warnings were for the actual storms and then those changed to flash floods.

Take a look at our local radar and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Now take a look at the road just outside our parking lot! All four lanes were under water and the grassy median was completely flooded. Some cars slowed to a crawl, while others appeared to floor it! I fully expected to see someone go over the curb or into the ditch.

We spent the afternoon listening to the rain, checking the radar, and watching "The Hunger Games" on DVD. Our supper will be leftovers, so we don't have to drive anywhere. Our only concern is getting Miss Sophie to go out in the rain to do her business...LOL!

How is it that a right-brained person like myself enjoys seeing things that are lined up in a row? An orderly line up of anything, side by side, always catches my eye. If it screams color, that's even better!

While out with Becky around Ocean Drive today, here's what demanded to be captured...

Ducks.....the perfect place for people watching, a cold brew, and shaggin' tunes.

Pastel wrought iron tables and chairs also at Ducks.

Beach towels and boogie boards...3 for $10.

Bicycles for rent...some with baskets too.

Eight beat-up old surf boards.

Even more places to relax at Ducks.

Frenzy ocean kayaks for rent.

Groovy Myrtle Beach t-shirts...lots to choose from and cheap too.

Skee Ball at the Ocean Drive Arcade.

Bumper cars...just one of the "rides" in downtown OD.

Beach bikes for rent.

It's a quiet evening here at the beach. The rain has rolled in so there won't be a sunset walk for us. That's OK because I'm in the middle of a really good book and there's nothing on TV to interfere with a night of hunkered-down-reading.

Jessie leaves tomorrow for Columbia, SC to begin her sophomore year at the University of South Carolina. She'll be moving into her very first apartment with her two best friends, Sarah and Kaylee.

This is an exciting time for her, but a sad time for me. Columbia is another hour on down the road, making her about 2 1/2 hours away. I know that we'll keep in touch through Facebook and texts and phone calls, but it just won't be the same as getting to see her in person and giving her happies and hugs.

I've been working on a little project for her bedroom and today, Becky and I drove down to Fort Mill to deliver a chair and my happy. I've been working on a special Carolina Cowgirl collage for a few weeks and it was time to surprise her with it.

Look what I made for my sweet Carolina Cowgirl.....who loves ya?!

We chatted for a while and we could tell that the child was bored, so The Sugar Aunts did the only logical thing to do.....take her junkin'! We hopped in the car and headed to an antique mall that was on our list of stops.....the Sleepy Poet in Charlotte.

Becky and Jessie ready to do some junkin'.

We had a great time looking for bargains. Jess had fun trying on hats, looking at vintage clothing, lamps and pillows, and finding the perfect blackboard shaped like a USC chicken (gamecock).

Great display of vintage purple bottles.

Oh my...I have nothing to wear dahling.

Custom made beach sign.....I'd love to have it!

What a selection of records!

I found a little life preserver (ten bucks) for the beach plus three vintage beach postcards (three bucks) that I'll display on a metal stand (four bucks) that's designed to hold photos. Becky found lot of stuff she liked, but resisted the temptation to buy anything.

After some lunch, it came time to say goodbye. Did I cry? Yep! Will I miss her terribly? Yep!

I am.....

~ always dreaming about the next road trip~ looking for a cool, one-of-a-kind place to stop and eat~ seeing what's right around the next bend~ searching for that perfect photo~ exploring interesting new places~ playing tourist~ learning something every day~ having so much fun it should be illegal~ making memories with my friends